Heart And Soul
by Usami
Summary: Everything around Bakura seemed to disappear, the world beginning to fade away, save the young boy in bed. But, if he was in bed, how was this possible? If Yugi was lying in bed, how could he be standing in the doorway?
1. Prologue

**Heart and Soul**

The bully held the younger teen by the collar of his uniform jacket, pressing him against the wall. "Cough up the money, if ya know what's good for ya," the intimidator said roughly.

"I. . . . told. . . . . you. . . . ." the other one choked, "I. . . . . . don't . . . . . have. . . . . ."

"Liar." He pushed the weaker boy harder into the wall, causing him to cry out. But no one could hear him there. This hallway of the school was devoid of people, so no one could help him.

The older one violently threw the other to the side, and he hit the ground with a yelp. Walking over, he grabbed the boy by his white locks, forcing him on his knees.

A smirk developed on the bully's lips. The younger boy feebly tried to free himself from the other's grasp, but to no avail.

"Give it up, Bakura."

"I don't have any money!"

He pulled back on his hair, causing him to cry out again.

"Bakura!" The bully looked up to see four people running towards the two of them. Considering his options, he pushed the other boy down, and took off.

Bakura groaned, rubbing the back of his head as the others ran over.

"Hey, Bakura," Jounouchi said. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Yes. I'm fine." He gave the others a small, sad smile.

Yugi bent down, helping his friend stand. "Thank you," the other teen said.

"We could have helped sooner if we knew where you were," Honda said.

"Where did you take off to?" Anzu asked. "We were wondering where you went when the bell rang."

He shrugged. "I guess I felt like being by myself for a while."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Yugi asked.

Bakura nodded. "Yes. I'm fine." He nodded to them, then turned the corner and disappeared.

Jounouchi sighed. "Bakura is still kinda strange to me."

"You just don't know what he's up to," Honda agreed.

"He keeps to himself a lot," Anzu replied.

"He's not strange," Yugi said to his friends. "He's just lonely."

"Why the heck does he feel lonely?" Jounouchi wondered. "He's got us."

"But he doesn't know us really well," Yugi stated. "We just hang out with him, and talk to him, but he doesn't really know us. We've never really taken the time."

His other friends fell silent, the young boy's words sinking in.

"You guys remember when I used to be like that, don't you? I would talk, but mostly keep to myself. It was because I didn't know anyone that well, except for Anzu. But when I got to know Jounouchi and Honda, I opened up more often, and finally got to know you two better. It's the same thing for Bakura. He's quiet now, but if we give him time, he'll open up to us. But we can't force him to do that. He'll do it when he wants to."

The others nodded, unsure of what to say. Then, as if all were thinking the same thing, they turned to go, Yugi following after them. He stopped, though, looking over his shoulder behind him, in the direction Bakura had gone in, before hurrying after his friends.

Around the corner, leaning against the wall, was Bakura. When the others were gone, he too walked away.

_TBC_


	2. Separation

* * *

Yugi had an uneasy feeling in his stomach as he walked down the dark, deserted streets that night. He felt as though someone was following him. It was slightly unnerving. 

There was a screech to his left, and he jumped up in the air slightly. Snapping his head in that direction, he relaxed a little when he saw it was only a cat climbing out of a garbage can. But only a little.

A weird shiver went through his spine. He shouldn't be there, he knew it. There was something in the back of his mind, warning him that something was amiss. Though the reason for that feeling, and what exactly it was, was all a mystery.

He knew he shouldn't have stayed at the arcade so late, but his friends had asked him to stay for a little while longer, and before he knew it, there he was by himself on the street.

The feeling that he was being followed was beginning to well up inside, his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes darted from side to side in trepidation. Was it normal that there were no cars around? Even at night, there should have been at least a few on the street, or some people passing by. But no. The entire area seemed to be desolated. He was all by himself.

_Yugi?_ The boy jumped at the sound of Yami's voice. He had settled for the quietness of the empty street, he had almost forgotten the spirit of the Sennen Item.

'Yeah, Yami?' he replied.

_Are you alright? You seem to be a bit jumpy._

'I guess I'm just feeling paranoid. I've never been walking by myself at night before. Plus, the street. . . .actually, it seems like the whole city. . . .is so bare. It's so strange. I would have expected to run into someone right now.'

_Especially since you have such a strong feeling that someone is following you._

Yugi laughed sheepishly. 'You can feel that, huh?'

_Feel it? You're practically screaming "Someone's after me!" in your head. It's kind of hard not to hear it, let alone feel it._

Yugi laughed softly, feeling better know that he was talking with the spirit. Still, the strange feeling just wouldn't go away.

He continued to walk down the street, engaging with Yami in some pointless conversation, just so he could push aside the feeling of apprehension in the depths of his soul. But the further he suppressed it, the stronger it would become.

As he walked by an alley, he could feel Yami suddenly turn serious. _Yugi,_ he said, _go by this area quickly._

'What? Why?'

_There's a strange presence being emitted from there._

'From where?' Yugi wondered. He stopped and turned around. 'The alley?'

_Yes. Now, don't stop! Keep going. The farther you get by that alley, the better._

'Yami. . . .'

_Don't delay, Yugi! That presence is. . ._

'Yami? Yami!' But Yugi got no response from the spirit.

"You've been cut off from him," a deep voice said. Yugi jumped, then turned around to see a strange man emerge from the alley. Dressed in a white robe, the man carried a staff with a clear, crystal ball on top in his pale, bony hand. His face was set in a scowl, and by the light of the street lamp above, Yugi could see that his pale blue eyes showed no emotion.

"W. . . . w-who are you?" Yugi asked, his voice quivering in fear. "What have you done?"

The man suddenly smirked, though his eyes still held no shine in them. "I've simply cut you off from the spirit of the puzzle, Little Yugi."

The boy's eyes widened. "H-how do you know my name?"

"There are many things I know about you, Mutou Yugi. The one thing I know most about you also concerns the spirit of the puzzle."

Yugi clutched the puzzle in his hands. "That's what you're after, isn't it? You want my Millennium Puzzle."

The strange man nodded. "I don't want to hurt you, Yugi. And I won't, if you just give me the puzzle."

But Yugi's violet orbs flared with fire. "Never!" he cried, pulling the artifact closer to him. He was still scared, but the boldness in his voice surprised even him. "I won't let you take my puzzle!"

"Yugi, I am only after the spirit that resides in your puzzle. I don't. . . ."

"Then I'm definantely not going to let you take it! Yami is my friend, and I'm not going to let anything happen to him!"

The man sighed, his pale blue eyes hardening even more. "Then you leave me no choice, and I will have to take the puzzle by force." Raising his staff in the air, the crystal ball began to produce an eerie green light. He began to chant in a strange language that Yugi couldn't understand.

The puzzle suddenly began to glow the same green shade as the man's staff, and slowly lifted off of Yugi's chest. Startled, he grabbed it from the air, and turned to run. He didn't realize, however, that as he turned to do so, the light around the puzzle disappeared, and reappeared around his body instead.

The man finally finished chanting, aiming the crystal ball on the staff towards the boy, the green light shooting out in a solid beam of energy. Only then did he notice that the boy had started to flee, and by then it was too late to call the spell of.

Yugi ran as fast as his legs could carry him, but it wasn't fast, as the beam hit his back. His head reeled back as he cried out in pain, then fell forward, hitting the ground.

The man stared in disbelief, seeing his spell hit the wrong vessel. He prepared to try again, since the boy would no longer interfere, but paused, thinking it over. He finally came to a different conclusion, and the crystal ball began to glow a bright blue. When that was over, he removed the spell he had place on the puzzle, his staff glowing a sickly yellow color.

He disappeared into the alley, knowing that the spirit from the Sennen Puzzle could now emerge from the item once again. He smirked, knowing full well the surprise that the spirit was in for.

* * *

Yami sighed tiredly, rubbing his temples with his index fingers. How could this have happen? Why? Why did they have to do this. . . . to his light? Couldn't they have just left the poor child out of this? 

The door suddenly opened, and the weary spirit looked up to see Yugi's other friends: Anzu, Jounouchi, and Honda.

"Yami!" Jounouchi said, panting. He was obviously that he ran all the way as soon as he heard. "What's going on? What happened to Yugi?"

The spirit shook his head sadly. "I don't know. I wish I did."

"Weren't you with him the whole time?" Honda asked.

"Of course I was. Yugi was walking home last night from the arcade. He was acting strangely, so we started talking. But. . . . something happened."

"What happened?" Anzu asked.

"I don't know. I can't explain it. One minute, we were talking, and suddenly, we were cut off from each other. It was so strange, though. I had just suddenly felt an evil presence around us, and was trying to warn him of it, when the link between us was blocked off. I tried to come out of the Millennium Puzzle, but I couldn't until much later, when I found Yugi just like that."

The other three looked at the young boy lying in bed, watching as he slept peacefully, deeply, his chest gently rising and falling as he breathed evenly.

"I've tried many things to wake him up, but nothing seems to be working." Yami shook his head. "I can't even reach his soul. Usually, I would be able to get some sort of response when we talk through our link, even if he's asleep. But I haven't been able to get through to him.

Bakura walked in the room, holding a glass of water. Sitting in the chair beside Yami's, which was right beside Yugi's bed, he handed the glass to the spirit.

Yami nodded to him gratefully, taking the water and drinking half of it.

"You should rest," Bakura insisted. "You've been awake all night."

"How do you know?" Anzu questioned.

Bakura turned his brown eyes towards the teen girl. "I was walking home last night when I came across Yami Yugi and Yugi. Yami Yugi was trying to wake him up, but Yugi wouldn't respond. I helped him first take Yugi to the hospital, then back here."

"What did the doctors at the hospital say?" Jounouchi asked.

"Well," Bakura said, "after running some tests, they said that. . ."

"They said that Yugi was doing nothing more than sleeping!" Yami exclaimed, infuriated. "Sleeping! What kind of tests did they run, anyway! I'll show them sleeping!"

After calming the enraged spirit down, Bakura continued. "They told us to take Yugi home and let him rest. But for some reason, both Yami Yugi and I could tell that he wasn't 'just sleeping.'"

"We were just lucky grandfather is away for a while," Yami said. "Who knows what would happen if he found Yugi the way he is now?"

"But if he isn't sleeping," Honda said, "then what's wrong with him?"

Yami and Bakura shook their heads. "We don't know," Yami said. "And I have a feeling it will take a while before we find out."

The other three nodded, watching the boy as he continued to 'sleep.'

Suddenly, Bakura felt a strong chill in the room. A strange shiver crawled down his spine, as he looked over to the window to see if it was open. It wasn't.

Anzu noticed the strange look on the boy's face. "Bakura?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

He shifted his brown eyes to look at her, and was about to reply, when he stopped, looking past her. His voice was suddenly caught in his throat, his chocolate eyes widening in disbelief. It. . . . it couldn't be real! He had to be imagining it! There was. . . no way. . . .

He stood up suddenly, quickly, knocking his chair over in the process. The others looked at him, puzzled. He heard their voices, questioning him, but his mind couldn't decipher their words.

_What the hell is wrong with you!_ he heard his Yami from within the Millennium Ring yell at him. So, not even Yami Bakura could see what he was seeing. Was he the only one?

Everything around Bakura seemed to disappear, the world beginning to fade away, save the young boy in bed. But, if he was in bed, how was this possible? If Yugi was lying in bed, how could he be standing in the doorway?

_TBC_


	3. Explanations

* * *

The Yugi at the doorway looked up at the snow-haired boy, his violet eyes glittering with a dim light. "You can see me?" he asked, his voice resounding with an eerie tone.

Bakura swallowed nervously, slowly nodding his head.

Yugi looked down, slightly confused, ideas and options rolling around in his mind. He then looked up again, a smile placed on his face, though his eyes still seemed dim. "Bakura," he said. "I need your help."

But Bakura wasn't sure what to do. "How is this possible?" he asked, his eyes darting back and forth from the boy on the bed to the same boy standing in the doorway.

The one by the doorway took a step towards him. "Bakura. . . ."

Bakura, out of fear, stepped back, not remembering he had knocked over his chair. The legs of the toppled chair tripped him, and he fell over, landing on his back.

* * *

Yami and the others began to wonder why Bakura was acting so strangely. "Bakura?" Yami asked. "What's wrong?"

But the boy didn't seem to hear him. He just seemed to stare at the doorway, his eyes widened with what seemed like fear. Confused, Yami looked to the door, but saw nothing.

"Hey, Bakura?" Jounouchi said. "What's going on?"

He didn't answer. He simply got to his feet, his eyes never leaving the door.

* * *

Yugi continued to approach him. "Bakura, are you okay?"

"What's going on?" Bakura asked. "How is this possible?"

"Bakura. . . . . ."

"Answer me first."

Yugi sighed, nodding. "I suppose I should tell you. It would make sense if you knew. But I'm not sure if you'd believe me."

Bakura relaxed slightly, noticing the sense of sadness in the boy's voice. "Tell me first, and we'll see."

Yugi sighed again. "Well, here goes. . . ."

* * *

Yami couldn't understand why Bakura was suddenly talking to himself. He seemed to be talking to SOMEBODY, but there was no one there.

"You think he's finally snapped?" Honda whispered to Jounouchi.

"Who knows?" the blond boy responded. "But that's why you should never trust the quiet ones. They're the first to lose it."

"Knock it off, you guys!" Anzu chided. "I'm sure there's a. . . . . logical. . . . .explanation for what Bakura's doing."

"Sure there is," Jounouchi said. "Bakura's gone PSYCHO!"

Yami quieted them, wanting to see exactly what Bakura was doing. There seemed to be a familiar presence near the boy, but it wasn't his spirit of the ring. It was a lighter, gentle presence. He just wished he could understand why it seemed familiar.

Bakura's eyes suddenly widened. "No way!" he said, glancing at Yugi. The boy was still sleeping, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.

More silence covered the room. Jounouchi was about to say something, but Yami shushed him. 'What reason is there for Bakura to be doing this?' the spirit wondered.

"I see," Bakura said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "But what are you going to do?"

More silence.

"But how can you do that if they can't see you?"

Yami blinked. 'Can't see who?' he wondered.

Bakura's eyes widened again. "Me! But. . . .I. . . . Can you do that?"

His odd question was followed by more silence. Honda made little circles by his head with his index finger, but stopped when Anzu elbowed him in the chest.

"Well, I guess so," Bakura said, "if it'll help. Just tell me what I have to do."

After a bit of silence, Bakura nodded, closing his eyes. As Yami watched him, something seemed to happen to the boy, something he couldn't understand. Bakura seemed to. . . . . change. . . . . somehow. But as he came to that conclusion, he found that it didn't even make sense to him.

Bakura suddenly opened his eyes, looking among the others. He smiled softly, sadly, at them. "You guys. . . ." he said softly.

The others reeled back in surprise. 'Bakura?' Yami wondered. 'But. . . . that sounded. . . . like Yugi. . . . .'

Suddenly, Bakura seemed slightly embarrassed, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "I bet you're all wondering what's going on, aren't you?" he asked, still sounding like Yugi.

"Bakura," Jounouchi said, "cut it out!"

"You sound a lot like Yugi," Anzu said.

"And it's freaking us out," Honda retorted.

Bakura looked at Yami. "Yami?" he asked gently.

Yami's crimson eyes widened. 'Could it be. . . . .?' he wondered.

"You can sense something, right? You can tell."

Jounouchi stood suddenly, almost ready to tackled him. "Bakura! I said knock it off!"

Yami stood also, holding out his arm in front of the blond boy. "Wait, Jounouchi," the spirit said.

Bakura sighed, a small smile on his face. "I knew you'd find out, Yami."

The spirit approached the snow-haired boy, who only looked at him with his chocolate eyes, smiling. Yet, there was a familiar glimmer there, a glimmer that he recognized immediately. "Yugi?" the spirit whispered, still slightly in disbelief.

But the white-haired boy nodded.

"What's going on?" Honda asked.

"It's a long story," Yugi/Bakura said. "But at the moment, I'm borrowing Bakura's body."

"What?" the all asked.

"I'm borrowing Bakura's body."

"Bakura," Honda asked, "what are you talking about?"

"I'm Yugi," the white-haired boy said. "I'm just borrowing Bakura's body."

"Bakura, knock it off," Anzu said. "That is not funny."

"That's not Bakura," Yami said, turning to the others. "That is Yugi."

"But how?" Jounouchi wondered.

Yami turned back to the snow-haired boy. "I'm not sure."

"Last night, Yami, do you remember on our way home, we passed by the alley, and you tried to warn me of some evil presence?"

Yami nodded.

"Well, I met the person you were trying to warn me about, and he was after you."

"After me?" the spirit asked. Yugi/Bakura nodded. "But what does that have to do with this?"

"Well, I turned to run, but something happened to me. I'm not sure what, but the next thing I knew, I was trapped somewhere, because that guy I met captured my soul."

Yami gasped. "Your soul!"

Yugi/Bakura nodded again. "He placed some kind of spell on me, meant for separating souls from their vessels. He had meant to separate you from the Millennium Puzzle, but when I turned to run, the spell hit me instead."

"So?" Jounouchi asked. "Even if you are separated from your body, can't you just go back in?"

Yugi/Bakura shook his head. "Unfortunately, I can't, Jou, because of the spell. I can only return to my body if the spell is removed."

"So what are you saying?" Yami asked, looking at Yugi's body. "Are you. . . .?"

"No," Yugi/Bakura said. "I'm not dead, if that's what you're thinking. Look, my body is still breathing. The functions of the body are still working properly. But without my soul in it, my body won't awaken. It's kind of like when Pegasus removed the souls from the Kaiba brothers, or my grandpa. Their bodies were still alive, but they're souls weren't there to control them."

"Was it you that Bakura was talking to before?" Honda asked.

"Yeah. Bakura was the only one who could see my soul without my body, and so he was the only one who could hear me."

"But why was it that I couldn't see your soul?" Yami asked.

"Well," Yugi/Bakura said thoughtfully, "the guy said that only two types of people could see my soul without my body: the person who put the spell on me, which is him, and people whose soul share something in common with my own. Bakura's soul has something similar with mine, so he can see me."

"But what about Yami?" Jounouchi asked.

"Well, it's true that Yami and I are part of each other. But we're still two distinct souls. The reason Yami can't see me is probably because he's the darker spirit, while I'm light."

"So what now?" Anzu asked. "I mean, how and why are you borrowing Bakura's body?"

"Well, I guess you could think of it in the sense that my soul has possessed Bakura's body. Since you guys couldn't hear me without me being in a body, I had to borrow Bakura's."

"Can you at least borrow Yami's?" Honda asked. "It might look a lot less weird."

"I wish I could," Yugi/Bakura said. "But the guy who placed this spell on me said that I am only able to posses the bodies of those people who can see me, and only if they give me their consent.

"Bakura knows all about this, because I was telling him this before. But what I haven't had a chance to tell him is that I'm in danger."

"Danger?" Yami asked. "Danger from what?"

"Well, when that guy finished telling me about the spell he put on me, and all the information I just told you all, he left, and somehow I escaped from the imprisonment he kept me in. He found out, though, and followed me. I lost him, but I know he's still searching for me, and since he can see me even without my body, he's going to try capturing me again."

"But you said he was after me, Yugi. What does he want with you?"

Yugi/Bakura looked up at the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, his eyes flickering sadly. "He was going to use me as a blackmail tool against you, Yami. He was going to try holding my soul against you, exchanging the removal of the spell off of my soul for the imprisonment of yours."

Yami looked down at the ground, then at the boy's body lying in bed. Turning to Yugi/Bakura, he asked, "Do you know where he resides, Yugi?"

"I. . . . I think so. Why?"

"I'm going to take him up on his offer."

"What!" Honda said.

"You can't do that!" Anzu exclaimed.

Yami looked at her. "This shouldn't be happening to Yugi, and the man who did this to him is after me. Maybe if I. . . . . ."

"No!" Yugi/Bakura said. "I'm not going to let you, Yami! I don't care what you say!"

"Yugi. . . ."

"No! Yami, you don't know what it's like in that crystal ball where he was keeping my soul. You couldn't even begin to imagine! When I was in there, I thought for sure I wouldn't survive in there. It was horrible. I can't describe it! All these horrible feelings running through you, making you think things you wouldn't normally think, the loneliness, the emptiness."

"Yugi, I. . . . ."

"No, you haven't! Sure you've been in the Millennium Puzzle for so long, but that will not compare to being trapped inside that place! One hour in there, Yami, and I wanted to die! I don't want that to happen to you! And I would never see you again! I couldn't handle that!"

"But what are you going to do, Yugi?" the spirit asked.

Jounouchi, who had been silent for the past few minutes, finally spoke up. "I wonder. . . . . ."

They all looked at him. "What?" Yugi/Bakura asked.

"Well," he said, "I was just thinking. . ."

"Which is a major achievement for you," Honda joked.

"I'm being serious, man. Anyway, Yugi, would the guy be able to find you if you were to remain hidden?"

Yugi/Bakura blinked. "I don't think so. But how can I stay hidden from him?"

"Well, if you stay in Bakura's body, would he still be able to see you, since your soul is already in a vessel?"

"Of course!" Yami said. "If Yugi was to remain in Bakura's body, the man who placed a spell on him wouldn't be able to find him."

"Until we can find a way to find him and get him to reverse the spell," Honda said, "Yugi will have to stay in Bakura's body."

"And until then," Anzu added, "Yami could fill in as Yugi in school. No one really notices when he changes, anyway." Yami nodded.

Yugi/Bakura was about to say something more, when he stopped suddenly, closing his eyes. Yami noticed this.

"Yugi?" he inquired.

"Hold on," Yugi/Bakura said. He opened his eyes again. "Bakura says that he doesn't think this is a good idea."

"What?" they asked.

"He says that he's unsure about it."

"Can we talk to him, Yugi?" Yami asked.

Yugi/Bakura nodded, closing his eyes again. Yami watched as the boy seemed to. . . . change. . . . again, but it still didn't make much sense.

The boy's auburn eyes opened again. Yami looked at him. "Bakura?" he asked.

The boy nodded.

"This is going to take a LOT of getting used to," Jounouchi whispered. Honda nodded.

"What were you saying about being unsure of the idea?" Yami asked gently, not wanting to upset the boy more than he already seemed to be.

Bakura looked down at the ground. "I. . . . . I don't know. I just have this. . . . . feeling. . . . . . .that something might go wrong. I can't explain it."

"What could go wrong?" Jounouchi asked. "It was MY idea."

"In that case," Honda said, smirking, "there's a lot that could go wrong."

Jounouchi growled. "Watch it, Honda. . . . ."

"Cut it out, you two," Anzu chided again.

Yami and Bakura seemed to ignore them. "I just don't think it's safe," Bakura said again, brown meeting crimson. "I have a bad feeling about it."

"But there is nothing else we can do," Yami said. "You're the only one who can see Yugi, and therefore are the only one who he can share bodies with. I would give myself up to release the spell from Yugi, but he won't let me. By resting within you, we're hoping that we can keep Yugi safe from whoever is after him. I'm very concerned for my light's safety, and this is the only thing we can do for now. Please, Bakura."

The pleading in the spirit's voice wrenched at Bakura's heart. He could tell that Yami was truly concerned for Yugi's safety, and only wanted to make sure no harm could come to him. Looking down, he said reluctantly, "All right."

Yami gently placed a hand on Bakura's shoulder. "Thank you. I promise, we'll watch out for you as well."

But Bakura pulled away from the spirit's touch. "Right," he said, almost bitterly. He couldn't help but feel that Yami had just said that because he was the host of another soul, a soul that happened to have been very close to Yami. He felt guilty for feeling that way, but he couldn't really help it.

In the back of his mind, Yugi could feel Bakura's jealousy. But what was it for? Because his Yami was so concerned for his safety? Or because Bakura felt he was interacting with these 'friends' for the wrong reasons?

_TBC_


	4. Complications

'Bakura's thoughts'

/_Yugi's thoughts_/

_Yami Bakura's thoughts_

/Dreams/

* * *

/It was so hard to breath where Bakura was. It was so dark, and the pressure was immense. It was so hot./ 

Bakura writhed under his sheets, tossing and turning. Inside of him, Yugi's soul was doing the same thing.

/The darkness was suffocating. It seemed to be pushing down on Bakura, crushing him. The heat swam through his mind, messing with him.

Even within the deafening pain caused by the heat, Bakura's ears picked up a small cry some distance away. Shaking his head to clear the pain, he slowly got on his feet; walking towards the direction he heard it.

What he came upon was unnerving. Even among the darkness, he could make out the silhouette of the black-hooded figure. His long, bony fingers were wrapped around Yugi's neck, and a strange glow covered the small boy's body, the similar pale blue glow as the strange man's eyes were emanating. Suddenly, the dark cloak of the shadowed man began to engulf the boy.

"No!" Bakura cried out. The figure's attention turned to the snow-haired boy, as the darkness stopped advancing on Yugi. He let go of his hold, and the tri-color haired boy hit the ground. The black-covered man then seemed to merge with the shadowed floor.

Bakura ran up the small boy, kneeling down next to him. "Yugi?" he asked.

Slowly, Yugi's violet eyes fluttered open. "B-Bakura?" he said weakly. As he tried to get up, his body tensed, and he let out a small gasp of pain.

"Hold on. You mustn't move a lot."

"Bakura. . . .You. . . . must be careful. . . . . ."

Bakura blinked. "What do you mean?"

"That guy. . . . . he. . . . . ." Suddenly, Yugi looked up, his eyes widening. "Bakura, look out!"

Bakura swiftly turned his head to see the shadowed figure, looming over him. At that same moment, Bakura felt his arms seemingly empty. Turning back, he discovered Yugi was gone.

The figure cackled, striking the snow-haired boy in the side of his head. Bakura reeled, landing a few feet away from the shadowed man. Struggling, he supported himself on one elbow, his chocolate eyes widening as he witnessed the strange figure suddenly whip out a staff, the crystal ball on the end glowing brilliantly.

"Your meddling will cost you dearly," the blackened figure said, his voice booming in the darkness. A large beam of light shot forth from the crystal ball, surrounding Bakura. His screams rang throughout the entire area./

Bakura shot up in bed, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily. His brow was moist with beads of sweat. He relaxed when he discovered he was still in his room. Inside, he could feel Yugi was also awake.

/_Bakura?_/ the younger boy asked. /_Are you okay?_/

The snow-haired teen blinked, adjusting his eyes to the darkness. 'I think so. What about you? Did I wake you again?'

He could feel Yugi nod. /_Yeah. But if it wasn't you, then would have been me, right?_/

Bakura yawned. 'Right.'

/_Same nightmare, huh?_/

'Just like most nights.'

/_Yeah. If it's not yours, then it's mine._/

'It's making it so that neither of us gets any sleep.'

Yugi seemed to be the one yawning this time. /_Right. But we can try, right?_/

'Sure. We can try.'

He felt Yugi settle in the recesses of his mind. /_Goodnight, Bakura. Good luck sleeping._/

'You too.' After a few moments, Bakura could feel that Yugi had gone back to sleep. He sighed. Even if he did try to go back to sleep, he knew he would only be awoken again. Just like every night for the past week or so.

Bakura had discovered some problems to letting Yugi's soul share his body with him, the very first day he had agreed to do so. He had discovered, as he was walking home that day, that he couldn't keep anything from Yugi. His thoughts, his feelings, everything was an open book to Yugi, and vice versa.

_

* * *

_

Bakura waved to the others, as he departed from the Turtle Game Shop. It had been a few hours since they discovered what happened to Yugi, and since he had stayed overnight, the snow-haired teen decided it was best he went home. Though the others were strongly against it, probably because he was hosting Yugi's soul, at least Yugi's Yami let him go.

/_Why do you think that?_/ Yugi asked suddenly, nearly startling him.

'Think what?'

/_That Yami and the others are only concerned about you because of me._/

Bakura blinked in surprise. 'You know that?'

/_Well, you were thinking that before, when Yami said that they would take care of you, and just a few seconds ago, too._/

So, Yugi could hear everything he was thinking, huh? Bakura felt uneasy about that, and possibly a little invaded.

/_I'm sorry, Bakura,_/ Yugi said almost inaudibly. /I didn't mean to. But I can't help it./

Bakura almost mentally kicked himself._

* * *

_

Like he could with Yami Bakura, as he had discovered, Bakura and Yugi could "think-talk" to each other, hearing what the other thinks, and receiving information from each other. They could sense what the other was feeling as well.

But unlike his Yami, who Bakura was able to do all that by a link, he couldn't shut Yugi out at all, just like Yugi couldn't shut him out. Because Bakura and his Yami were connected by a link through the Millennium Ring, they could close that link freely, blocking all thoughts and feelings to the other.

But because Yugi was just simply sharing his body, he was just there, in Bakura's mind, therefore having free access to everything that went through there. And he also had the same access to everything that Yugi was thinking. Both boys felt embarrassed, since their private thoughts and feelings were now exposed to someone else, but there wasn't really much either could do about it.

Bakura had to admit, it was strange having Yugi's soul in his body, yet not that different from sharing his body with his Yami. Just like with his Yami, if Yugi wanted to take control, he would simply stand aside, as their souls seemed to switch places, and Bakura went into his soul chamber. When he had control, Yugi would be the one in his soul chamber, in the back of his mind. It was strange, though, because when he was in the soul chamber, he was used to having Yami Bakura having control. Now, when Yugi had control of the body, both he and his Yami stayed in their soul chambers, directly across from each other.

Speaking of which, Bakura knew that his Yami wasn't taking this very well. He had never been too fond of Yugi, because of Yami Yugi, and had never really approved of him hanging out with the younger boy and his friends. When he had agreed to allow Yugi to stay inside of him, Yami Bakura was very against it. Over the past week, he and Yugi have been arguing constantly. Bakura knew the younger boy didn't mean to argue with the dark spirit, but Yami Bakura didn't give him much of a choice.

He had decided a while ago that it would have been better to stay out of such arguments.

_

* * *

_

Bakura sighed inwardly as his Yami and Yugi were once again arguing. He wasn't sure what they were arguing about this time, but he's had enough of it.

'Do you guys have to argue all the time?' he asked. 'It gets awfully tiresome after a while.'

_Learn to stay out of it, then!_ Yami Bakura snapped. _This is your fault, anyway, allowing the stupid Pharaoh's Yami's light to stay in the first place._

/_Hey!_/ Yugi protested. /_Yami's not stupid. And you shouldn't be talking to Bakura like that. You can't tell him what to do, and this is not his fault._/

_Don't tell me what to do!_

Bakura sighed again. Knowing that he would no longer have any say in this conversation, he decided to back out. They would be going at it for a long time.

_

* * *

_

Since he couldn't block Yugi out like he could with his Yami, Bakura was forced to hear the arguments every time, even if he only heard Yugi talking. Since Yami Bakura kept the link between them closed most of the time anyway, the snow-haired boy would hear a one-sided argument. It was quite strange, and quite frustrating, really.

Bakura could feel Yugi stir within him. Since he wasn't sleeping, the young child was now being haunted by one of his own nightmares. He could feel the fear and dread that followed this fantasy, just as always.

Ever since he had agreed to this, both he and Yugi have been plagued with horrific dreams. Since they could sense the other's mind, when one had a nightmare, the other had the same one. Sometimes, it would be Yugi's dream haunting them both, the nightmare of being locked away in the dark crystal ball that belonged to whoever shed the spell on him. Other times, just as a few minutes ago, it would be Bakura's strange vision. Either way, neither had much sleep because of them.

It was the same dream over and over again. He could understand why Yugi was having the nightmare he did, since being trapped had obviously shaken him up some. But the dream he was having. . . . .it didn't make any sense. What was it really about? Did it mean anything?

He heard Yugi cry out, and the boy awoke with a start. 'No luck, huh?' he asked.

He felt Yugi shake his head. /_Nope. Not at all. You?_/

'I didn't really try this time. I knew I would just wake up eventually.'

/_But that's not good, Bakura. You have to sleep, even a little. You do have to go to school in a few hours, you know._/

'Yes, but sleep doesn't help if you don't have a peaceful one. It's the same as if you're not sleeping at all.'

/_Well, there's that. So what are you going to do?_/

'What I've done for the past week. Coast it, and hope I make it through the day.'

/_Well, hopefully that works._/

'Sometimes better than others.'

/_But has it really been a week?_/

'It might have been longer. I've lost track.'

/_I have too. I guess we're more tired than we thought._/

Bakura nodded, rubbing his eyes free from any vain thoughts of sleep that still lingered there.

/_Bakura?_/

'Yeah?'

/_What are the chances. . . . . that I'll make it out okay?_/

The snow-haired boy blinked in slight confusion. 'What do you mean?' he asked.

/_Do you think. . . . . I'll be able to return to my body? Do you think everything will end up okay?_/

'You can't doubt that, Yugi.'

/_But what if I never go back to my body? And what if that guy really does get a chance to get at Yami? What if he wins?_/

Bakura could sense the uncertainty that has taken over the poor boy's soul. 'Well, I can't promise you anything, but I'm sure everything will turn out fine.'

/_How do you know?_/

'The others will make sure of it. Your Yami, and your other friends, will see that you return to your body somehow.'

He felt Yugi relax a bit. /_Thanks, Bakura,_/ the younger teen replied. /_But, you know, they're your friends, too._/

Bakura said nothing.

_Do you mind?_ Yami Bakura suddenly said, sounding rather grumpy. _Just because you two can't sleep, doesn't mean you should disturb others._

'Sorry, Yami. Did we wake you?'

_What do you think?_

/_Sorry, Yami Bakura._/

_Whatever. _And he was suddenly quiet again.

'I don't understand how he can sleep with all the nightmares we're having.'

/_I don't either, but he's really lucky that he can._/

'Indeed.'

/_So what now?_/

Bakura looked at the clock, it's digital, red numbers flashing the time. 'I suppose I should get ready for school.'

/_Wow. I guess it was later than I thought._/

Throwing the blanket aside, Bakura got out of bed, switching on the lamp. He was tired of darkness, tired of the two dark dreams that haunted him and Yugi so.

/_Bakura?_/

'Yeah?'

_/You know those dreams you've been having/_

'What about?'

_/Do you think they mean anything/_

After a moment of thinking, Bakura finally replied, 'I'm not sure, Yugi. I really don't know.'

_TBC_


	5. Thoughts of a Yami or two

* * *

Yami watched as Bakura ran into the small classroom. 

"Hi," he panted, passing him to get to his own desk. Yami nodded his good morning.

"Hey, Bakura?" Jounouchi said. "This is the third time this week that you've almost been late for school."

"Plus, you did it a lot last week, too," Honda pointed out.

"You used to be here so much earlier than we did," Anzu said. "What's going on?"

Bakura seemed as he was about to answer, but the bell echoed throughout the area, signaling the session was about to start. The teacher came in, as students shuffled to their seats, and began to teach the class.

Yami's eyes would glance over at the snow-haired boy every once in a while, before continuing to take notes in Yugi's notebook. It was kind of strange, looking at how different his handwriting was compared to that of the child's. His light.

"Mutou Yugi?" the teacher said. "Mutou Yugi?"

He felt someone poke him in the back, looking at Honda, who was sitting behind him. The auburn haired teen pointed to the front of the room, where the teacher was "patiently" waiting for an answer.

Yami looked up, finally remembering that HE was supposed to be Mutou Yugi.

"He's here, sir!" Jounouchi said. "But Yugi's feeling a little under the weather this morning."

The instructor's facial expression changed to that of concern. "Are you feeling all right? Should you go to the nurse?"

Yami shook his head. "It's not that serious, really," he said. "I'm just feeling a little ill, but it will pass later."

"If you say so," the teacher said, then continued on with roll call. Yami sighed slightly. He found it rather ironic that no one noticed that "Yugi's" voice was slightly deeper then a few weeks ago, and that he was a little taller as well.

Not even the others noticed, back when they didn't know about Yami. Yugi himself hardly noticed the change. It was amazing how they couldn't tell.

He found himself sigh again, slightly relieved that Jounouchi covered for him. This was the fifth time something like that has happened, because he wasn't used for filling in for Yugi full time such as this. What he was used to was taking over for Yugi when he needed help, being there for Yugi when Yami was needed most.

But he even failed at that. His light was taken before him, and he wasn't able to do a thing about it. The guilt wrapped around his heart, squeezing it, as a snake coiling around its prey. He wanted to help Yugi, but was helpless to do such. What was he going to do?

If only Yugi would allow him to give himself up. He didn't need to go through any of this. He didn't deserve it. But no, Yugi wouldn't let him. He wouldn't tolerate it.

But the one he felt especially sorry for had to be Bakura. Glancing at the said teen, he watched as Bakura copied the information on the chalk board. He also felt guilt for placing such pressure on the young boy's shoulders as he did. The dark spirit of the puzzle also felt that he had given Bakura the impression that he had said they would take care of him because Yugi was within him. He hadn't intended it that way at all.

As he thought about it, Yami realized that he didn't know Bakura as well as he knew Yugi's other friends. But he began to wonder if anyone really did. The snow-headed teen was, more often than not, seen by himself, keeping his distance from others. Even Seto Kaiba had somewhat of a social life. But Bakura liked to keep to himself.

However, Yami couldn't help but worry about his safety. Something seemed to be looming over Bakura, a strange, negative feeling. He was worried, not only for Yugi's sake, but for Bakura's as well. This 'thing' felt a serious threat to the spirit, and frightful thoughts shadowed his mind. Certain fears lingered in the back of his head, fear that nobody, particularly a certain snow-haired boy, was safe anymore. The dark specter of worry that was created in Yami's mind seemed to loom over HIM especially.

And he knew he had to protect Bakura, the way he couldn't protect Yugi. He owed Bakura. . . . At least that much. . . . .

* * *

The window suddenly burst open, pressed by the gust of wind. Finally released, the airstreams and rain poured into the house, the shutters flapping and clattering along with them. 

Bakura went to the window, pushing against the wind and rain to close it. After much struggling and getting soaked, the teen's efforts were rewarded. Refastening the lock, he went back his bed, wiping his damp locks away from his face.

'So much for a relaxing evening,' he thought, seeing flashes of light from the cracks of the shutters, hearing the roar that followed behind.

/It seems like the storm just suddenly appeared/ Yugi said.

_It DID just suddenly appear,_ Yami Bakura reminded him.

_/Oh. . . . . . . right. . . . . . . . . ./_

Bakura heard the dark spirit sigh. _Do you see what you give me to put up with?_ he snapped.

The teen was about to say something, hopefully something that would prevent another argument, when suddenly, the lights flickered above his head. Looking up, he watched as they sputtered a little, before completely blacking out.

Bakura groaned. 'The power's out,' he thought.

_No kidding?_ his Yami replied sarcastically.

He blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the sudden darkness. He didn't have to, he realized, as a sudden flash came from the Millennium Ring, and Yami Bakura appeared. Even after his arrival, the ring still glowed.

"I can't keep that up forever," the spirit said gruffly.

Bakura nodded, understanding what his Yami was telling him to do. Getting up, he left the confines of his room, feeling that Yami Bakura was right behind him. Heading into the kitchen, he started searching for something in the cupboards. Finally, he found a candle, a candle holder, and some matches.

Yami Bakura cocked an eyebrow. "A candle?"

"It's all there is around," the teen said, sticking the candle in the receptacle.

_/Don't you have flashlights/_ he heard Yugi ask.

Knowing well enough that Yami Bakura had already heard that question as well, Bakura replied, "Well, Father brings all the flashlights in the house on expeditions."

"So go buy some," Yami Bakura replied, extinguishing the light from the ring when Bakura lit the candle.

"I can't. Father only leaves me enough many when he goes away for food. He doesn't give me money for anything else."

"I can see why. He probably knows that you're a bully magnet."

_/That's not nice/_ Yugi commented.

"Do you want to ask me if I care?"

"Can we go for ONE evening without you two arguing?" Bakura asked, picking up the candle and going into the living room. Yami Bakura just shrugged, following his young light.

Placing the candle on the coffee table, the teen began throwing pieces of wood into the hearth. When he thought there was enough, he lit a match and threw it in. Slowly, the fire crept along, lightly grazing over every piece of lumber. Finally, the flames grew, lighting up the room, casting away the shadows.

Sighing, Bakura sat on the couch, feeling it sink slightly under his weight. It sank more as Yami Bakura sat next to him, watching the fire.

After seemingly hours in the dark silence, as the light from the fire danced upon them, Yami Bakura was pulled back into that world with the sound of someone snoring lightly. As he looked, he saw that his light was curled up on his side of the couch. His sleep, and probably Yugi's as well, was haunted once again by one of their disturbing fantasies.

Slightly agitated, Yami Bakura closed his eyes to concentrate. A bluish light began to come forth from the Millennium Ring, and suddenly, the sleeping teen seemed to quiet down, as both souls' nightmares seem to disappear.

With the task done, the dark spirit relaxed on the couch. He knew that both boys wondered why he didn't get the nightmares they had. He didn't get the dreams they did, and was able to recharge his energy with sleep more than they could. He didn't receive Bakura's dream because of the link they had. He could close it, blocking out the horrific vision.

He didn't see Yugi's dream because Yugi was sharing Bakura's body and mind, not his own. Since Yami Bakura had the power to generate his own body, his mind was free from Yugi's, and he could only see the young boy's nightmare if he opened the link with Bakura, who usually had the same one.

He couldn't say that he was mad at his light, taking on a burden such as this. In fact, if it had been anyone else, Yami Bakura would have been proud of him. But. . . . . the Pharaoh's light? Of all people. Had the gods decided to be so cruel to him in such a manner?

Getting up, he went over to the closet and grabbed a blanket. Bringing it back with him to the couch, he placed it over Bakura's body. He knew that his light didn't have many chances to sleep very well. What with his and Yugi's dreams haunting him during his sleeping and waking hours.

Though he would never admit it, Yami Bakura truly cared for his light, and he didn't want to see the poor boy hurt. If he could, he would have done something to prevent the suffering from ever being undertaken. But Bakura was slightly stubborn in his own way, in some weird way, almost like himself. However, he knew he could never tell the boy that he cared, for he would never get what he wanted from him.

There was something, though, that made him fear for Bakura's safety. Lately, the dreams Yami Bakura was having seemed to point down a dark road for his light. When he tried to read the future from the cards, he would always receive the same message. Something was going to happen to Bakura. What, though, he had no idea.

Thinking about all these ideas, Yami Bakura found himself nodding off to sleep. He accepted it gratefully, allowing the touch of slumber to give him a temporary sense of relief.

On the coffee table, the flame on the candle suddenly blew out.

_TBC _


	6. Playtime

* * *

Bakura sighed, walking by the familiar surroundings. He was supposed to meet Yugi's friends and Yami, but his need for solitude had kicked in again, and he didn't really want to go right now.

_/They are YOUR friends, too/_ Yugi reminded him. He didn't reply.

_Just hurry and get there,_ Yami Bakura snapped. _The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave._

The teen sighed again. Just ever so slightly, he quickened his pace. He decided it was best not to argue with him.

As he continued to walk, however, something caught his attention. As Bakura looked on, he realized he was staring at a children's playground. Curious, he approached the seemingly deserted area.

Questions filled both Yugi and Yami Bakura's minds as Bakura walked around the recreational area, examining everything. His eyes finally came to rest on the swing set.

It was a rather large swing set, the two lonely swings probably big enough to carry someone as tall as himself. Rolling the idea around in his mind, the snow-haired teen finally came to a conclusion, and sat on one of the swings.

At this point, Yami Bakura finally received the information he needed to understand why his light was doing what he was doing, and why, so he closed the link between them, deciding to stay out of it. Yugi, however, was still curious, and trying to be polite and not read Bakura's mind, waited to see what his friend would do and if he would explain.

Leaning back, Bakura swung his legs forward, trying to get himself to elevate. The breeze he created by rocking back and forth such as that caused his hair to be blown around, from into his face to back in its original place. He ignored his white tresses as he attempted to go higher. When he figured the swing had reached its maximum peak, he jumped.

Time seemed to slow down, the moment he left the swing seemed to last forever. The wind pushed his hair back, as the sun shone around him, giving him the look of a silver-haired angel suspended in the air. For that split second, the rest of the world seemed to disappear, as Bakura seemed to understand how birds feel when they fly.

And just as suddenly, without warning, time returned to its normal pace, as the teen felt the ground firmly beneath his feet. He let out a rather sad sigh, looking back at the swing as it began to slow to a stop, before moving on.

As he walked, he came across a sandbox, abandoned toys lay halfway buried in the dirt. An amused smile crept over Bakura's lips as he sat on the edge of the box, picking up one of the nearby sand buckets. Looking at the plastic tower castle, he grabbed the nearby spade and filled the container with sand. When it was full, he flipped it over, gently pulling it away to admire his sand tower.

A soft breeze came upon him suddenly, as he stared at the tower, reminding him of when he was younger. Oh, he used to have such big hopes and dreams then. When he was a child, he wanted to do and achieve so much. And his mother had been there to support him in everything he wanted to try. But. . . . . . the day she was taken away from him. . . . . . all his wishes, plans, and desires were taken along with her.

_/Your mother died/_ Yugi asked suddenly, causing Bakura to jump slightly. Then, the other boy added, _/I. . . . . I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude./_

'No, it's all right,' the snow-haired teen replied gently. 'You can't really help it anyway. Yes, my mother died years ago when I was much younger. That was before my father and I moved to Domino City.'

_/I'm sorry./_

'There's nothing to be sorry about, really. She left us, and ever since then, my father has moved us from city to city. We've never really settled in just one place, and it gets so hard to just. . . . . .'

_/To just make friends/_ the younger boy suggested.

Bakura chuckled sadly. 'You've figured me out, Yugi. And to answer the question that you're thinking about, yes, that IS why I'm found by myself most of the time. Moving around so much the way we do never gives you an opportunity to get to know your peers better, and therefore making it almost impossible to make friends.'

_/But doesn't it ever get lonely/_

'Sure, it gets lonely, but after living this way for so long, one just gets used to it.'

_/No one should ever 'get used' to being by themselves, Bakura. It's not right./_

He didn't respond.

A few minutes passed in continued silence. Finally, Yugi decided to break it. _/So, you've been around the world/_

'Yes. After my mother passed away, it was like my father wanted to be anywhere but there. And, of course, he took me along with him, and we moved from country to country.'

_/But did you want to stay where you were living before/_

'In England? Yeah. It was where my mother was buried, after all, and I wanted to be able to visit her whenever I could.'

_/Did you tell your dad that/_

'No. Father made it clear that he wanted me to come with him. We would move somewhere, then he would work out of that country a lot, and then we would move somewhere else.'

_/So you're often by yourself at home/_

'Well, you've seen that my father is never at home.'

_/Yeah. Gosh, I'm sorry./_

'It's all right. I'm used to it.'

_/I. . . . . I kinda know how that feels, too./_

Bakura blinked. 'Do you?'

_/Yeah. Sort of. None of my parents died or anything, and again, I'm sorry, but I think it's a little better than my case./_

'How so?'

_/Well, even though your mom is gone, at least you knew that she loved you. My dad left when I was really young, and I never got the chance to know him. You can't love people you don't know./_

The snow-haired teen didn't say anything.

_/My mom works a lot too, so I don't get to see her that often./_

'I guess we're more alike than just being the lighter hosts of darker spirits,' Bakura mused.

Yugi let out a little laugh. _/Yeah, I guess so./_

Drawing up a little more sand, Bakura made another sand tower. Then, standing up, he wiped the stray grains of soil from his hands, ready to get going.

Suddenly, the teen's ears picked up faint, familiar sounds some distance away. The sound of children's laughter followed closely behind.

_/What is that/_ Yugi asked.

'I have an idea,' Bakura replied, his curiosity getting the better of him as he went to investigate.

* * *

Bakura leaned against the railing of the wooden fence, a small smile formed on his lips as he watched the horses trotting along with their children passengers.

'I didn't know we were so close to this ranch,' he thought.

_/Do you come here often/_ Yugi wondered.

'Yeah, or at least I used to. It was when I first moved here, and I was looking around. I came across this ranch and became very captivated by it, and I used to come here almost every day.'

_/Can I ask why/_

'Well, one of the things I wanted to do when I was younger was go horseback riding. One day, for my birthday, my mother took me to a ranch similar to this one, back in England. I asked her if she would take me again, and she promised she would. But. . . . .'

_/She died before she could take you again/_

Bakura nodded.

_/I'm really sorry./_

The teen shrugged. 'It's all right. There was nothing that could have been done to prevent it. Besides, that happened a long time ago.'

Yugi didn't say anything.

As Bakura looked on, he pointed out to Yugi, 'That stallion is my favorite one.'

_/Which one? The white one/_

'Yes, the one with the black mane and tail. I don't know, but for some reason he stands out against the other horses.'

_/Yeah, he seems a bit different./_

'He's the fastest one in the group, and can run the longest.'

The said steed perked its ears up, lifting its head from grazing the pasture. Its eyes finally rested on the snow-haired teen, and he carefully began to walk towards him. The stallion stopped in front of the boy, its eyes never removing its fix.

Reaching out his hand, Bakura gently placed his hand on the horse's muzzle. 'It's been a while since I've been here,' he thought, 'but it seems that it still remembers me. I would used to come here and feed this one.'

_/You really like this horse, don't you/_

'Yes. I can't explain it, but it seems different from the others. Special, you know?'

_/Yeah, I can imagine./_

Bakura smiled, as he continued to pet the horse.

Unknown to Bakura, hidden by the brush of the bushes, stood a man watching him, his pale blue eyes sparkling with surprising knowledge.

"I know where you're hiding," the man said quietly to himself. "Don't you worry. You're soul will be under my possession once again. . . . . Mutou Yugi."

_TBC_


	7. Confrontation

* * *

His feet hit the pavement in a rhythmic pattern as he ran down the street. His breathing came out in little pants; he turned the corner down the familiar way to the Turtle Game Shop. His little rendezvous in the park was fun and all, but he totally lost track of the time. 

Checking his watch, Bakura groaned. 'I'm so late!' he thought.

_/It's not like it's the end of the world, Bakura/_ Yugi commented.

'But they must be wondering where I am. I don't want them to worry.'

_You should have listened to me,_ Yami Bakura chastised. _I told you to leave and get over to the game shop._

_/You didn't say anything. And if I remember right, you didn't care, either./_

_Shut up, Brat._

Bakura let out a slightly agitated sigh, trying to ignore them and concentrate on getting to the game shop. 'I can't believe I lost track of time so much. And Yami Yugi told me not to be late.'

_

* * *

_Bakura picked the receiver of the telephone up off its cradle. "Hello?" he asked. 

"Bakura? This is Yami."

"Oh, hi."

"Are you busy right now?"

"Busy?" The teen scratched the back of his head. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"I need to talk to you."

"What about?"

"I really prefer to talk to you in person," the spirit of the puzzle replied, his voice seemingly low and hushed. "Can you come over to the game shop later?"

"I suppose so."

"Good. Come by at three o'clock. And what I have to say is very important, so please, don't be late."_

* * *

_

Looking at his watch again, he chastised himself, 'Yami Yugi is going to kill me that I'm coming in half an hour later.'

That's when he noticed how unnatural his environment around him was. 'Why does it seem so empty?' he wondered. 'Where are all the people?'

He suddenly felt a wave of panic overcome Yugi, as he stopped halfway through a response to Yami Bakura. _/Empty/_ he asked.

'Yeah. There are no people out here. There aren't even any cars.'

The feeling of panic surged throughout Yugi. 'Something wrong?'

_/I-I. . . .I'm s-sure it's n-nothing/_ he stuttered. _/Probably just some weird coincidence. But. . . . . . there was one time that I remember that was kind of like this. . . . . . Except it was dark./_

He was about to ask, when he suddenly turned the corner and bumped into someone. The impact of the collision knocked both of them down, but Bakura was quick to get back on his feet.

"I'm sorry!" he said, helping the man up. "I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to run into you."

He suddenly noticed that the man seemed slightly familiar. But he couldn't quite place it. 'Wait. . . . . . . the cloak. I've seen it somewhere before. . . . . except this one is white.'

The man got to his feet, dusting himself off. "That's quite alright. . . . . . Bakura Ryou."

Bakura stiffened. "How do you know my name?"

"I know many things about you." The man suddenly turned around, his pale blue eyes staring hard at the teen.

Yugi gasped._ /No. . . . . It can't. . . . . . It can't be. . . . . It's him. . . . . ./_

Frantically searching through Yugi's mind, Bakura came across the answer he was afraid to find. 'He's the one who placed the spell on you? He's the one who separated your soul from your body?'

He could feel Yugi nod within him.

"I don't want to hurt you, Bakura," the strange man said. "All I am after is Yugi."

The teen's eyes widened. "How do you know?"

"Being the one who placed the spell on him, I am able to detect wherever he is hiding, since I am the only one who can place him back in his real body. Until he returns to his right vessel, I can sense his soul."

_So much for that plan,_ Yami Bakura retorted sarcastically. _That worked like a REAL charm._

'I somehow don't think this is the time to dwell on that,' Bakura said, trying his best to inch away from the man.

However, his attempt was futile, as the man suddenly raised his hand, and a scepter emerged from nowhere.

"We can make this easy," the man said, "or we can make this hard. I don't want to hurt you, Bakura, but if you resist, it will make my job of obtaining Yugi's soul that much harder."

"Then I wish you the best of luck," Bakura said defiantly, "because I'm not giving up without a fight."

Everyone seemed surprised by Bakura's sudden burst of courage, especially Bakura himself. When being harassed by the regular thugs, the quiet and reserved teen usually never tried to stop them from beating him or taking his money.

For some reason, this exact situation reminded Yugi of himself, that one time the bully Ushio beat up Jounouchi and Honda. Jounouchi had told him that he was surprised that Yugi would never say anything when he and Honda would pick on him, but when it concerned others, he was quick to stop it.

But there was no time to dwell on that now. Yugi snapped out of his train of thought as he realized that the man in front of them started chanting in the familiar foreign language. The crystal ball began to glow a vibrant blue hue, and Yugi half expected that Bakura would glow the same shade. Everyone was surprised, however, when icy blue, stone daggers suspended in the air.

"Don't be shocked, Yugi," the man said, a sly smile creeping over his lips, as if reading the younger boy's mind within Bakura. "I know you were expecting the Soul Separation spell, but I do have other ways to make people cooperate."

The daggers seemed to fly towards Bakura, and he snapped to his senses in time to jump out of the way. As he hit the ground, he saw that more of the daggers were coming towards him. Unable to do anything else, the teen rolled on the ground to avoid them, as they connected with the street.

He stopped when he saw an icy blue object hovering over him, and jumped to his feet to elude it from puncturing his head.

Yami Bakura was surprised that his young charge could actually move the way he was. He had never imagined his light to be that strong, fast, or agile, and he never imagined Bakura to be the kind of person to defend themselves, much less someone 'living' inside them. A strange, new feeling of respect arose from within the soul of the dark spirit.

Bakura wiped the sweat forming on his brow, staring at the strange wizard in front of him. His legs threatened to collapse underneath him, but he willed himself to go on. He could feel Yugi, tugging at him, urging him not to push himself, but the teen knew that he had to press on. He could never forgive himself if anything happened to his friend.

The being, sensing the boy's fatigue, smirked again, creating another dagger, hurling it at the young boy. Bakura, in his tired state, barely dodged it.

He cried out suddenly, feeling a searing sting on his lower left side. He fell to his knees, unable to withstand the pain that began to spread through his entire body.

_/Bakura.../_

The boy's pale hand swiftly flew to his side, and he felt the warm, crimson liquid that began to spill from the tear in his side and sweater. He squeezed his eyes shut momentarily; it hurt so much.

His eyes shot open when he heard the man chuckle. Leaning against the wall behind him, he slowly rose to his feet. His breathing came out in labored pants, as he and the wizard stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity.

"You should realize by now how easy it would be for me to obtain Yugi's soul," the strange man said. "If I were to kill you, your soul would pass into the next realm. But Yugi, since his soul is not in the proper vessel, would come out of your body, and I would be able to take him."

Bakura said nothing.

Creating another, larger, dagger, the wizard hurled it over at Bakura. He closed his eyes; there was nothing he could do now.

He suddenly felt himself knocked over by something, and he landed on his back against the concrete road. There was an enormous crash, as pieces of debris landed around him. Opening his eyes, he saw the dagger had collided with the brick wall that used to be behind him.

Yami Bakura was lying halfway on him, protecting him from any rubble that might have hit him.

The dark spirit got to his feet, and Bakura didn't resist as he felt himself hoisted up. "Stupid boy," Yami Bakura said gruffly. "If you're going to do this, you have to be quicker on your feet, with or without an injury."

The teen looked up at his Yami, noting the sense of gentleness buried under the sternness. He couldn't tell if his spirit held some concern beneath the hard chocolate of his eyes.

"If you're going to be so damn stubborn," Yami Bakura continued, "then hurry and get to the game shop. I'll buy you some time."

"Yami. . . . . . . ."

After making sure his light could stand, Yami Bakura turned around, his back facing Bakura. "Hurry and get going."

"B-but what. . . . about you?"

"I'm going to stall, so you can get there safely."

"But I can't just leave you. . ."

Yami Bakura swiftly turned around, his eyes locking with his young light's. "You being here will only distract me!" he shot out. "So stop being such a nuisance and get going already!"

Bakura reeled back, slightly surprised. But understanding, he nodded, and, ignoring the intense pain he felt in his side, ran as fast as he could to the game shop.

Once his light was out of sight, Yami Bakura turned to look at the wizard. "It's just you and me now," he sneered. "And stand assured, I'm not that easy to get rid of."

A sudden flash, as Yami Bakura called the ring. It seemed to appear from within him, and darkness spilled forth from the ring, engulfing both of them.

"Welcome to the Shadow Realm."

The wizard stared at him. "Yes, I'm very familiar with the Shadow Realm. . . . _Nahkti_."

A gasp escaped the spirit's lips as he stiffened slightly. "How do you know that?" he demanded.

"I know many things," the wizard replied, stroking the crystal ball on his staff. "You know, you and the Pharaoh aren't the only ones who come from Egypt long ago."

Yami Bakura's eyes widened. "You. . . You mean. . . .!"

The man smirked. "My name is Ishinku (ee-SHIN-koo), a sorcerer who lived during the Amenhotep dynasty. You do remember the Amenhotep dynasty, don't you, Nahkti?"

The spirit growled. 'How can I forget?' he asked himself. 'That was during the rule of Pharaoh Yugioh, while _I_ was alive. Nahkti was the name I had while living there way back then. But how? How can he be here, in this time, if he is who he says he is?'

"It's quite simple, really," Ishinku replied, as if reading the spirit's mind. "The Pharaoh banished me here, in the Shadow Realm, after placing my soul in here." He held out his staff, the crystal ball glowing brightly. "He left me for dead, but my soul was able to partly escape from its imprisonment and return to my limp body, which was also banished in the Shadow Realm.

"However, half of my soul still remains in the crystal ball, while the other half controls my body. Because of that, I have lived for 5 millennia, waiting for fate to help me.

"That chance came, when the barrier between our world and the Shadow Realm opened, in the duel with the Pharaoh and a man name Pegasus. I was able to escape, and have spent this time learning everything I could about this world, and where the Pharaoh ended up. I followed them to a place called the Duelist Kingdom, and learned everything I could until I was ready to finally take my revenge."

"Well, get in line," Yami Bakura retorted. His ring began to glow a light blue hue, and a beam of light shot forth towards Ishinku. His crystal ball began to glow the same shade, and counter the beam from the ring.

"Having lived in the Shadow Realm for so long," Ishinku said, his staff glowing a bright red, "I have been accustomed to everything here. So you see, Nahkti, I will be very difficult to beat."

'Maybe so,' Yami Bakura thought silently to himself. 'But as long as I can give my light enough time to get to the Pharaoh's place safely, then that's all that matters.'

* * *

Anzu, Honda, and Jounouchi sat in Yugi's room, watching as Yami was pacing the floor, as he waited for Bakura to arrive. 

Honda leaned over to Anzu, whispering, "It's like watching a ping-pong match. He keeps going back and forth and back and forth."

"I know," she whispered back. "If he keeps it up, he's gonna drive a hole through the floor."

If Yami had heard them at all, he didn't show it. He kept pacing, pausing to glance at the clock, then began to pace again.

Jounouchi, sitting at the end of Yugi's bed, watched as Yami walked, his brown eyes never leaving the form of the figure. "Yami," he finally said, "relax, would ya?"

Yami stopped, raising his violet eyes off the floor and locking with Jounouchi's.

"You're stressing out over nothing. I'm sure Bakura and Yugi are fine."

Yami relaxed slightly, but looked at the floor again. "I'm actually more worried about Bakura than I am about Yugi," he replied.

"That's strange," Honda said. "I would have thought you would have been more worried about Yugi."

Yami shook his head. "Yugi, I know, will be fine. I am worried about him, but not as much as I'm worried about Bakura."

"Why?" Anzu asked.

"I fear something will happen to Bakura. I can't say exactly what's going to happen, but I know it's something to be concerned about. I've asked him over to talk to him, see if anything has happened to him lately. I'm hoping to get a better idea of a way to protect him.

"But I asked him to be here at three, and it's already quarter after four. I'm beginning to wonder if something already happened to him."

"First of all," Jounouchi said, "you don't know for sure that something will happen to Bakura, do you?"

"Not exactly. . . . ."

"And second of all, just because Bakura's late, doesn't mean that something happened to him. I'm sure he just lost track of the time."

"You may be right, Jounouchi," Yami said thoughtfully. "But still. . . . . . I can't help but feel that something is wrong."

They all heard the door of the store open, as the bell rang throughout the whole place. As it closed, the bell rang again.

"See," Jounouchi said, hopping off the bed, "that must be Bakura now."

Yami nodded, leading the others out of Yugi's bedroom and down the stairs. As he entered the main part of the store, however, he froze, a gasp freed from his lips.

Bakura was leaning against the door, his hand and white sweater tainted with blood as he held his lower left side. His breathing came in labored pants as he kept his eyes on the ground.

"Bakura!" Yami cried in alarm, jumping over the counter as he rushed to the injured teen. "Bakura. . . . ." He gently placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "What happened?"

Bakura looked up, his chocolate eyes filled with pain. "Yami. . . Yugi. . .," he said weakly, before collapsing in the spirit's arms.

"Bakura!"

_TBC_


	8. Sacrifice

* * *

His socks slipped across the smooth tile, as he skidded across the floor and almost missed his destination. Grabbing the handle, he swung the bathroom door open, opening the medicine cabinet and quickly rummaging through its contents. Not seeing what he needed, he closed it again, still searching.

In his haste, he almost missed what he was hurriedly looking for. Upon finding it, he let out a victorious 'aha' and grabbed the first-aid kit, vaguely wondering why they kept one in the downstairs bathroom. Shrugging it aside, he left.

Yami returned to the living room, quickly approaching the couch where Honda was placing the unconscious teenager. After removing Bakura's sweater and shirt, the spirit soaked a piece of cloth with a solution to clean the large wound on his side. When he deemed that there was enough, he gently pressed the cloth on the wound.

A pain-filled moan was removed from the snow-haired boy's lips, as his eyes wearily opened.

"Bakura," Yami called out gently, "how do you feel?"

He moaned, "Better than you'd think I'd feel."

Pulling out some bandages from the first-aid kit, the spirit asked, "Do you think you can sit up long enough for me to take care of that wound?"

Slowly, the teen sat up, ignoring the protests his body was giving him. Yami, dousing the cloth again, returned it to the wound as it continued to fill with blood. Bakura groaned slightly, but said nothing, as the spirit gently wiped away the crimson fluid, replacing the stained cloth with the bandage, sealing up the gash. After securing the binding, the teen all but collapsed back on the couch.

The other three teens watched as the spirit gently lifted Bakura's head, allowing the boy to drink some water, before placing a pillow underneath, placing him down gently on the cushion.

"Thank you," the teen said, his words sounding as though he had difficulty saying them.

"Bakura," Honda said, "what happened?"

"I don't think asking him now would be a good idea," the spirit of the puzzle stated, closing the lid of the kit. "Bakura needs to rest what strength is remaining."

"I agree," Yugi's voice chimed in suddenly, "so I'm taking over for now."

Yami turned back to the figure lying on the couch. "Yugi?"

Yugi/Bakura nodded. "Bakura's soul needs to rest, so I offered to take control for him."

"Don't you feel any pain?" Anzu wondered.

"Well, yeah, I do feel some pain. But not as much as Bakura. See, I remember hearing something about this from the guy who placed the spell on me. Because Bakura was the one in control of his body when he was injured, he's the one who feels the most pain.

"I feel some of it, because I'm sharing his body with him, but he took most of it when he was in control. If there was only one soul in this body, then they would be the only one to take care of the all the pain."

"Then maybe you can tell us," Jounouchi said, "what happened to you guys?"

Yugi/Bakura looked down at the ground. "He came after Bakura," he whispered.

Only Yami was able to pick up what the young boy said. "Who did?"

"The guy who separated my soul and body. He came after Bakura. He knew that I was hiding in Bakura's body."

Honda poked Jounouchi. "So much for your brilliant idea."

"Shut up, Honda, or I'll. . ."

"Shut up, the both of you!" Anzu barked. The both nodded fearfully.

"Yugi," Yami said, sitting next to the boy on the couch, "what exactly happened?"

Grabbing Bakura's shirt and sweater, he slipped them on, saying, "Well, Bakura was coming here, when he noticed that the place was empty. That was when we ran into the guy. He told us that he knew that I was hiding in Bakura's body, and he said to Bakura that he wouldn't hurt him if he agreed to give me up. But he refused.

"So the guy started to attack Bakura using these stone daggers. Bakura was able to dodge a lot of them, but one was able to hit him. That's when Yami Bakura saved him, and told him to come here while he took care of the guy."

"Where is Yami Bakura now?" Yami asked.

Yugi/Bakura shrugged. "I don't know. We had left him while he fought the guy, I. . . . Wait. . . . ." He closed his eyes for a minute, then reopened them. "Bakura says that they're both fighting in the Shadow realm. He felt it open through their link before Yami Bakura's presence disappeared from this world."

Yami thought for a minute. "Yami Bakura is very familiar with the Shadow realm, and is a very hard opponent to defeat. He should be able to hold his own against this mysterious mage."

"I dunno," Jounouchi said suddenly. "This guy sounds like he won't be easy to beat, either."

"Why should we listen to you?" Honda teased. "You've been wrong about everything else concerning this so far."

"Shut up."

"But Yami's probably right," Anzu said. "Yami Bakura should be able to handle himself, right?"

Yami nodded. "Yami Bakura isn't one to be taken lightly."

Yugi/Bakura nodded slightly. "He should be alright," he said softly, as if trying to convince himself.

Yami turned to the boy, but before he could say anything, the teen seemed to change again, in that strange way that he could never understand. Before he could think anything else of it, Bakura fell against him, holding his injured side, his breathing labored and trembling.

Surprised by the sudden change, Yami could only hold the boy, supporting him. "Bakura?"

The boy nodded slowly.

"I thought that. . ."

"He's in trouble," Bakura said breathlessly. The change had taken away some of his remaining strength.

"What? Who?"

"My Yami. . . . He's in trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"I can feel his presence. . . . He's back, but. . . ."

"But what?"

"He's hurt. I can sense something's wrong with him."

"I told you," Jounouchi quipped. Anzu hit him in the back of the head.

"Bakura," Yami said, "do you know where he is?"

"I-I think so."

"Tell me, and I'll go help him."

Bakura looked up at the spirit. "You don't intend to leave me here while you go, do you? I'm going, too."

"Bakura, you need to rest. . ."

"I'm going. He's my Yami, and I need to help him."

As Yami was about to protest, Bakura suddenly changed again as Yugi took over. "Would you feel better, Yami, if I was in control?" he asked.

"I don't know. I still think you two should rest."

"I'm okay, Yami. Really. Besides, I can walk and take you to where Yami Bakura is, with Bakura telling me where to go."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Yami finally replied, "All right, but only if you promise to leave when it gets too dangerous."

Yugi/Bakura closed his eyes, looking as though he was concentrating. Finally, opening his eyes, he replied, "Okay. Bakura and I promise we will."

Yami nodded, turning to look at the other three. "Let's go. I may need all of your help as well."

"Count us in," Jounouchi said, cracking his knuckles.

* * *

"Yugi, are you sure he's here?" Yami wondered, staring at the park entrance.

Yugi/Bakura nodded. "That's what Bakura said. He says he can feel Yami Bakura's presence strongest here."

Yami looked at the boy, then at the other three, nodding at them. They nodded in response, and the five teens entered the park.

It didn't take them very long until they came across an open clearing, as their eyes settled on a very still figure lying in the grass.

Yami Bakura.

Yugi/Bakura was about to run over the spirit of Ring, but Yami held up his arm to stop him.

"Yami?" Yugi/Bakura asked softly.

"There's something evil here," the dark spirit replied. "Something very evil."

A harsh, cold laugh filled the air, as Ishinku descended from what appeared to be the sky. "Very perceptive of you," he mocked.

"You're the one who put the spell on Yugi, aren't you!" Yami spat.

Ishinku barked out his ruthless laugh again. "And what if I am? What are you going to do about it?"

Yami growled, clenching his fists. "You better remove that spell, or I'm going to. . ."

"You're going to what!" Ishinku shot back. "You have no idea what you're capable, do you! You have no idea what your true abilities are, or what you have done in the past!"

"What are you talking about?" Jounouchi asked.

Ishinku merely glanced at the blond, before looking back at the spirit of the Puzzle. "That's right. You don't remember, do you, Yugioh?

"The one you all call Yami Bakura has told me of such. You don't know who you are. You don't know what you did when you were alive, and you have no idea what you were. So far as you remember, Mutou Yugi freed you from the Sennen Puzzle, and you shared bodies with him ever since."

Yami closed his eyes, shaking his head as the painful thought of not knowing who he was raced across his mind. Opening his eyes again, he replied, "So what! It's true, I don't remember anything about my past, but what does that have to do with anything now!"

Ishinku smirked suddenly. "You really don't remember. So you can't know that I am connected with your past, could you, Yugioh?"

"You?" Anzu asked.

"How?" Honda wondered.

"That is none of your concern," Ishinku replied. "But that's enough talk. Unless you don't want to help you light, Pharaoh."

Yami growled, the eye of Horus beginning to glow on his forehead. "I'll make you eat those words!"

"Careful, Yami!" Yugi/Bakura yelled as the spirit charged at Ishinku.

The strange man just smirked, the orb on his staff glowing brilliantly. He aimed it, and a beam of light shot forth, connecting with Yami's chest. A piercing scream was ripped from the spirit's throat, as the pressure of the blast pushed him backwards. His body hit a large tree, as the beam continued to drive into his chest.

"YAMI!"

The beam suddenly disappeared, as Ishinku pulled back his staff. Yami fell to his knees, keeping a hand to his burning chest, his breathing becoming heavy.

Anzu ran up to the dark spirit. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"The pharaoh will be fine," Ishinku answered. "I merely drained a lot of his energy. However, I left enough for him to retain his consciousness. Wouldn't want him nodding off before I take Yugi's soul back in my possession.

Honda also was at the pharaoh's side, helping to support him as Yami got to his feet. "I don't understand," Yami said gasped. "You're after me, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Jounouchi yelled, shaking a fist towards the wizard. "What's Yugi got to do with all this?"

Ishinku's glass eyes suddenly sparkled with rage. "The Pharaoh ruined my life!" he spat. "I want him to suffer just as much as I did after he banished me to the Shadow Realm!"

Something clicked in Yami's mind. "The Shadow Realm!" he echoed.

"Yes, the Shadow Realm. My imprisonment for the last five millennia. Every moment of the life I lived there was a constant struggle for survival. You have no idea how much I suffered there, Pharaoh."

He smirked suddenly, holding up his scepter. "But you will, Pharaoh. I will see personally that you understand the meaning of true suffering. And what better way to do that than to take away the person you care for the most?"

With a swift motion, Ishinku brought his scepter down, the orb touching the ground, glowing a strange color.

The ground shook violently suddenly, throwing everyone off their feet. As it shook, the ground began to break up, shafts of light rising through the cracks.

Suddenly, the bodies of Yami, Honda, Anzu, Jounouchi, and Yugi/Bakura levitated into the air.

"Whoa!" Jounouchi yelled. "What the--?"

Their bodies flew through the air, separating as they all landed harshly on the ground.

Yugi felt the dull feeling in the side of Bakura's body growing slightly worse. In his mind, he could sense how much worse it was for Bakura.

His head snapped up as he noticed Ishinku focus on him. "You see, Little Yugi?" the man said with a sneer. "Everything I want, I get. But you and Bakura have indeed made it very difficult for me."

"If you wanted my soul so badly," Yugi/Bakura said, "why didn't you just take it? Why did you have to hurt Bakura?"

"Since there are two souls within that particular vessel, it was much harder than that. Because Bakura was in control at that time, if I had tried the Soul Separation spell, I would have obtained his soul instead of yours. I needed you to be in control of the body in order for the spell to work. But now. . . . . this is the perfect time to do it."

Yugi/Bakura's eyes widened with fear, his body glowing the same green shade as the orb on the end of Ishinku's staff.

Yami groaned, using a tree to support him as he attempted to stand. "Yugi. . . . .!"

Yugi watched as the glow on the orb intensified. He knew what was coming next. Ishinku's ray to complete the spell, and the pain to follow as his soul was ripped from the body.

Inside, Bakura could feel Yugi's fear about being trapped again inside Ishinku's orb, and the feeling of emptiness and darkness.

Ishinku suddenly smiled cruelly. "Welcome back, Yugi," he said.

A jade-colored beam shot out of the sphere, striking Yugi/Bakura in the chest. He let out a loud scream.

"NO!" Yami yelled, but shielded his eyes as the blast blinded them all.

After what seemed to last forever, yet no time at all, the light died down, and the others looked at Bakura's still body.

Yami pushed off the tree, ignoring the pain in his torso as he ran towards the motionless boy. Blood ran down his side due to the reopening of his wound and the ripping of his bandage caused by the corrosive blast.

Gently he slipped his arm under Bakura's head, supporting it as he held the boy's body. Tears dotted the already stained sweater. 'I. . . I failed my light,' Yami thought. 'I couldn't protect him from that. . . .' He glared at Ishinku, before his eyes returned to the still form of Bakura. 'That monster. But I won't let the same thing happen to Bakura. This poor boy has already done enough to try and help Yugi. He's injured because he didn't want Yugi to be captured. Now I must return the favor, and try to find a way to get Yugi back.'

Unnoticed by Yami or the others, who made their way towards the Pharaoh, Ishinku was examining his sphere intently, a look of puzzlement etched in his translucent sapphire eyes. 'Something's wrong,' he determined. His attention was averted, though, as the group of people around the pharaoh began to make a fuss.

The other four watched as Bakura's chocolate eyes slowly opened.

"Easy there, Bakura," Yami spoke gently.

As the auburn orbs rested upon Yami, they enlarged in surprise. He sat up quickly, but gasped loudly in pain, his hand holding onto the bleeding wound.

"Hey, take it easy," Jounouchi said. "You're wounded pretty badly, remember?"

"You should rest, Bakura," Anzu said.

"Right," Honda replied. "We'll take care of the rest."

If he heard them, he showed no acknowledgement of such. His eyes were clenched shut with pain, his hand soiled crimson.

"Bakura?" Yami called gently.

One of his russet eyes opened, focused on Ishinku, who was looking at him as well. "No. . . ." he whispered. His eye shut again, as he clenched his free hand into a fist. His voice became louder as he said, "No! How could he!"

Yami gasped. "Yugi!"

He looked over at the spirit of the Sennen Puzzle, before looking down at the ground in a slight nod.

"If you're Yugi," Honda said, looking from the boy to Ishinku, "then he must have taken Bakura's soul by mistake!"

_TBC _


	9. Liberation

* * *

A breeze blew over the park, the new battle field, as birds began to take flight from their places in the trees, as if they understood what was taking place. On the ground, Yami, Anzu, Honda and Jounouchi stood, glaring at the mysterious wizard, Ishinku, who just stared back at them.

Sitting next to Yami was Yugi still in Bakura's body. The pale hand covering the wound in his side was caked with semi-damp blood. One eye was shut in pain, his breathing unstable and shaky due to the hurting caused by the gash. Since his soul was the only one in Bakura's body as of now, the pain was left for him alone to bear.

Yami clenched his fists tightly. The burning sensation he felt in his chest was gone, and he felt a renewal of strength from his anger and rage. 'It was bad enough to get Yugi involved with all this, since Ishinku was after me,' he thought, gritting his teeth. 'Yugi's innocent from all this, even if we are connected together. But Bakura. . . . . He has NOTHING to do with this! Ishinku isn't even after his Yami, and he shouldn't be involved this way! He. . . . he sacrificed his soul so that Yugi's wouldn't be taken. . . . . .'

Beside him, Yugi was thinking around the same thing. 'Bakura switched places with me at the last minute so that I wouldn't be captured. But why? He didn't have to do that. But he still did. Why? He already knows what it's like to be in there, because of what I've told him, and the dreams I've had about it. He knows how awful it is.'

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. 'His dream! Oh, God. . . . Is this what it meant? When he came to help me, because of that shadow figure. He tried to help me, but was left alone to fight him. It's the same! This IS what the dream was trying to tell him, and me. By switching places with me, he was trying to help me, but now he's left alone in the orb.' He bit his bottom lip. 'Bakura. . . . . . .'

After what seemed like forever, Ishinku tore his eyes away from the former Pharaoh and his friends, looking at the crystal orb on his staff. 'So, inside here is Bakura Ryou's soul, eh?' he thought to himself. He looked at the Pharaoh, and at the boy on the floor. Though he still kept the same facial expression, his sheer, icy eyes seemed to smile evilly. 'Well, it may not be Mutou Yugi's soul, but I could still use the other boy to my advantage.'

Waving his scepter around, the orb began to shine palely, and as he held it out in front of him, a faint white light came forth, a short distance from the orb.

The others gasped as the light suddenly focused into Bakura, his image slightly transparent. His eyes were devoid of any emotion or recognition of anything, and his facial features seemed very melancholy, much like what he looked like as the Change Of Heart card during Yami's duel with Yami Bakura on duelist kingdom.

"Bakura!" Yugi called out painfully.

Upon hearing his name, Bakura's spirit looked up, his dull eyes focusing on the soul in his body, before looking away.

"Bakura!" he called again.

"He can't answer you," Ishinku said, his eyes still smiling cruelly. "You should know what it's like, Yugi."

The boy growled softly.

"Let him go!" Yami demanded, taking a single step forward. "Bakura has nothing to do with this! He shouldn't have to go through any of this, and you have no right to keep his soul locked up like that!"

"Oh, but that was his choice, Pharaoh. He knew what he was getting himself into, or at least he should have with sharing Yugi's mind and such. And yet he still decided switch places with Yugi and allow himself to be captured. But maybe I'm wrong. I mean, if you, Pharaoh, could have protected either him or your light, then none of this will be happening, would it?"

Yami growled softly. His mind ran through this, trying to come to a decision. 'Is he right?' he wondered, though his eyes gave away nothing. 'Could I have protected Yugi and Bakura better than I did? Then none of this would be happening. Yugi would be in his own body, and he and Bakura would be safe. Is it really my fault?

'Ishinku was after me, but he has used Yugi and Bakura as a way to get to me. If. . . . If I wasn't around. . . . If Yugi had never completed the puzzle. . . . . .both would be safe right now. . . . . . .'

"Don't think that way, Yami!" Yugi said, looking up at the spirit of the puzzle.

The dark spirit looked down at the boy.

"You can't think that way! He's just trying to get to you! You can't give in that easy!"

"But what if he's right, Yugi?" Yami whispered. "If it wasn't for me, you and Bakura wouldn't have had to have gone through any of this."

"That doesn't matter, Yami," Yugi said. "I know that I would rather give myself up than to see you hurt. And Bakura wouldn't have switched places with me if he didn't want to help. We could have done nothing, and just stand by while he captured you, but we wanted do something.

"And right now, you're the only one that can help me and Bakura get back to our rightful bodies. So, come on, Yami. Don't think that this is all your fault. This happened because we wanted to help. But now you're the only one that can help us get back to our bodies."

"Hah!" Ishinku sneered. "The Pharaoh won't be able to do a thing against me! Isn't that right, Bakura?"

The soul of the said boy merely peered at the wizard over his shoulder, before reverting his gaze back to the others, nodding slightly.

"Bakura!" Jounouchi called.

"He's unaware of any of you at this moment," Ishinku responded. "He's under my power now. He's under my control. That's why the Pharaoh won't defeat me. If I tap into Bakura's soul energy, I will become stronger than ever."

The eye of Horus on Yami's forehead began to glow again. "That's IF you get the chance."

But Yugi grabbed his hand. "No, Yami! You can't do that!"

The spirit looked down at Yugi/Bakura. "Why not? I could easily. . . ."

"You can't kill him, not yet! If you do, then Bakura and I won't be able to get back to our bodies!"

"What?" they asked.

"It's true," Ishinku said. "I had to use the Soul Separation Spell to separate Yugi and Bakura's souls from their bodies. To put them back, I'd have to use the counter spell. But if you kill me, then you would never find out how to perform that spell, and Yugi and Bakura would never return to their bodies.

"Do you see why you can't defeat me, Pharaoh?" he asked spitefully. "If you defeat me, you precious light and Bakura won't be the same as they were before. However, since you cannot, I will be free to dispose of you as I wish."

His orb glowed suddenly, and Bakura seemed to float aside as electricity poured out of the sphere, directing itself towards Yami and the others.

Their screams echoed throughout the whole park, as the electricity grabbed them, running its current through their bodies.

The pain Yugi felt was too incredible for him to bear. It seeped into his cut, tearing him apart from the inside out. But opening his eyes, he looked over at Bakura's soul, and the transparent figure seemed to flicker and fade.

He gasped, the recognition of what was happening to Bakura. "No! Bakura, you have to stop!"

The fading spirit looked up at him again, then looked down at the ground.

For some reason, Yugi didn't feel the volts of electricity anymore. "Bakura! You can't do this!"

"He can't hear you, Yugi," Ishinku said. "He's under my control, and he can't help but give me his soul energy to power my orb."

But Yugi didn't stop trying. "Bakura! You can't keep doing that! Please, Bakura, listen to me! If you keep that up, you won't be able to survive!"

The spirit, his appearance flickering, looked at his body.

"Bakura! You have to stop! You can't keep that up forever, and you could die! Please, you have to stop, Bakura!" He ignored the tears streaming down his cheeks. "You'll die at this rate! I don't want that to happen to you! Please, Bakura!"

And just as suddenly, the volts of electricity stopped. The ones standing fell to their knees, trembling slightly and heaving with pain.

But Yugi didn't seem to notice the pain. He looked on as Ishinku examined his orb, before turning to Bakura.

"How?" the wizard asked. "How were you able to break free?"

Bakura looked at Yugi in his body, then back at the wizard. He spoke softly, though his mouth did not move, I won't allow this anymore. 

His voice seemed to be heard by the others, yet not heard at all, like the gentle whistle of the wind. He continued, and his voice and words echoed in their minds.

I won't allow you to do this anymore.

"How did you break free?" Ishinku demanded once again.

I won't allow you to hurt my friends anymore.

Softly, he closed his blank eyes, and when he opened them, his eyes were filled with life.

"How were you able to break free of my control? You were supposed to be under my total power!"

You went too far, Bakura replied calmly. I can't just stand by and watch the only people I care about hurt like that any longer. If my energy had been for some other use, I wouldn't have cared whether I lived or died. But by hurting my friends, you've gone too far, and I can't let you do that anymore.

"Bakura. . . . . . ." Yugi said silently.

Ishinku growled. "You would have been better off staying out of this. Your meddling will cost you dearly."

"Bakura!" Yugi called, as the soul of his friend suddenly disappeared at the glow of the orb.

Turning to the others, Ishinku held out his orb again. "This time," he hissed, "there will be no interferences or miracles to save you."

Suddenly, a bluish beam hit Ishinku in the back, causing him to cry out. As the beam disappeared, the wizard fell forward, hitting the ground. As he did so, he revealed the form of Yami Bakura, who stood behind him, panting.

"That's what you think, Bastard," the dark spirit of the Ring said, bending down and picking up the staff. He then slowly made his way over to where Yami and the others were standing.

"Are you alright?" Yugi asked as Yami helped him to his feet.

Saying nothing, Yami Bakura removed the hand that covered the wound on Bakura's body. Yugi flinched slightly. Noticing that, Yami Bakura looked up at the face that resembled his own, knowing full well where his light was. Looking over at Yami, the spirit of the Ring handed him the staff with the Orb.

Yami took it from him, his eyes full of question.

"Break the Orb," Yami Bakura responded.

"What?" the spirit of the Puzzle asked.

"You have to break it."

"But," Jounouchi said, "if he breaks it, how are Yugi and Bakura gonna get back to normal?"

"Yeah," Honda agreed. "If Yami breaks it, won't they be stuck like the way they are?"

Yami Bakura shook his head. "That's if you kill Ishinku, who knows the counter-spell. But if you dispose of the Orb, the whole cause of this mess, then they will go back to their bodies."

"But how do you know?" Anzu asked.

"That orb is a legend," Yami Bakura answered. "It was created using the powers from the Shadow Realm, created by the great-grandfather of the pharaoh Yugioh."

"My great-grandfather?" Yami asked.

Yami Bakura nodded. "He created it in hopes to calm the Shadow Monsters and control them. But when that didn't work, he disposed of it, and placed a certain spell on it so that only certain people could break the Orb, and certain people could assemble it when it was broken.

"However, he didn't think of putting requirements for those who would own it. You had to have certain requirements to put the pieces together and gain the Orb's power, but once it was assembled, it could be handed over to anyone.

"That's why Ishinku has it. Once they have it, they can tap into the Orb's magic. But if the Orb is broken, everything they've done with it will be reversed."

He stared intently into Yami's eyes, almost in an intimidating manner. "You have to break the Orb if you want Yugi and Bakura to return to their bodies."

"Hold on," Yami said. "Why should I believe you? I mean, you've tried to kill Yugi more than once. How do I know that this isn't some plot to do that again?"

"Normally, it might be," the spirit of the Ring answered, "if the soul of my light isn't on the line as well. I want Bakura safely back in his body as badly as you want for Yugi. I wouldn't tell you to break the damn Orb if I wanted to kill your light, seeing as how it would kill mine as well. Think of me what you will, but I do care about my light."

"I dunno," Honda said suddenly. "I mean, back on the Duelist Kingdom, when I was trying to save Mokuba, even after Pegasus removed his soul, you told me that you wanted to use Mokuba's soulless body so Bakura wouldn't interfere with your plans anymore."

"And don't you wonder why I wanted to use a soulless body when I could have easily gotten rid of Bakura's?" Yami Bakura snapped. "If I had trapped his soul in a card again, just like I had done before, or if I had just disposed of his soul, I could have had complete control. So why do think I didn't? Because I DO care for the boy."

"Do you?" Yami asked.

"Just because I don't show Bakura that I care about him," he replied, "just like how you show Yugi you care, doesn't mean that I don't. There are many ways of caring, and just because our ways differ from each others, it doesn't mean that we care about our lights less."

Yugi looked on at the dark spirit of the Ring, when some movement behind him caught his attention. His eyes widened. He tried to say something, but couldn't find his voice.

Yami Bakura noticed the strange facial expression on Yugi/Bakura's face. That was when he sensed something behind him, and he spun around, the Ring on his chest glowing brightly, creating a barrier around them, blocking the attack beam from hitting them.

Ishinku cursed under his breath, but continued to try and push the beam forward, knowing that Yami Bakura had to weaken eventually.

"You have to break the Orb!" Yami Bakura yelled at Yami. "Half of Ishinku's soul is trapped inside it, and that's where he gets his power! If you want to defeat Ishinku, and return Yugi and Bakura's souls back to their bodies, then you have to break it NOW!"

Yami looked at the staff in his hand, then up at the spirit of the Ring. "But. . . ."

"Yami," Yugi said suddenly, "just trust him. We don't have any other options now."

Yami looked at him. "Yugi. . . . ."

"I trust him, Yami. I know he's telling the truth."

Yami's face set to a determined look as he nodded. Raising the staff high above his head, Yami brought it down to the ground, the Orb shattering from the impact.

From within the black pieces of the Orb, a black swirling torrent spiraled around them, pushing at everything as Bakura's and Ishinku's bodies glowed a deep, red color. Five rays, resembling five black shooting stars, flew into the air, and disappeared.

The torrent, as sudden as it came, disappeared, and Bakura's and Ishinku's bodies fell lifelessly to the ground.

* * *

The ruby glow around Yugi's body suddenly disappeared, the room appearing as normal as it did when the luminosity first occurred. Many minutes passed, and all was still in the small bedroom.

Suddenly, there was a light groan on the bed, as Yugi slowly sat up, holding his pounding head. There was a dull ache in his left side, but that passed quickly. For a moment, he had no idea where he was. Looking around, he tried to remember.

Something in his mind clicked, as he tossed the blanket off his body and jumped out of bed. He ran down the stairs and out of the game shop, as his mind finally registered what had happened. His destination was the park, where he knew his friends were.

He ran as fast as his legs would allow him to go, with a single thought in mind: 'Bakura. . . . . Hold on. . . . . .'

* * *

Yami Bakura sat on the ground, holding the body of his light close to him, not caring that blood was staining his clothes.

Yami and the others watched, knowing that no words needed to be exchanged.

There was a groan from across, and all looked up to see Ishinku slowly rising to his feet.

The wizard glared at them, but Yami noticed that his eyes were now a rich blue hue, more like an actual eye color, and less like glass.

"Damn you, Pharaoh," Ishinku hissed, clenching his fists. "I will get you, mark my words. . . ."

Yami could feel his blood boil, the eye of Horus once again reappearing on his forehead. "I've had enough of your threats," he said furiously, the eye glowing brighter by the passing minute. "You've harmed enough people for a lifetime. I'm sending you back to the Shadow Realm, and this time, you won't live through it!"

"Ha!" Ishinku jeered. "Have you got what it takes, Pharaoh? Your light hasn't softened you, has he!"

Yami growled, the eye suddenly shining blindly. "Don't test me! I'm damning you to the worst HELL you can possibly imagine!"

There was an ear-piercing scream, as the silhouette of Ishinku suddenly seemed to blow away, disappearing in the blinding light.

Then the light died down, and the scenery of the park returned to normal. A gentle wind passed over their heads, teasing their hair as birds returned, filling the area with their songs.

"Yami!" a familiar young voice called, causing all of their attention to a figure running towards them.

"Yugi!" Yami responded, as the young boy jumped into the arms of his darker spirit.

After a moment, Yugi pulled away, looking up into the spirit's eyes. Yami just smiled at him, wordlessly ruffling the boy's hair. Yugi couldn't help but smile back, then knelt down next to Yami Bakura, gazing at the unconscious boy in his arms.

"Hold on, Bakura," Yugi whispered. "Just hold on."

The sounds of sirens suddenly erupted around them as an ambulance arrived.

_TBC_


	10. Epilogue

* * *

The sound of beeping brought him back into the conscious world. From what he could gather without opening his eyes or moving, he was in a bed, which was in a brightly lit room.

When his sense of hearing fully returned, he heard the sound of people talking. Familiar voices bounced around the room and into his ears. So far he knew, he heard Yugi, Yami Yugi, and his own Yami. Where were they? Where was he?

Slowly, Bakura opened his chocolate eyes, his pupils adjusting to the new light. Blurred at first, his vision finally focused enough to show him that he was in a hospital room.

He groaned softly. He wasn't too fond of hospitals, not since Kaiba's Battle Tournament where he spent most of the time in one.

"Hey," he heard Yugi say, "Bakura's awake!"

And suddenly, Bakura felt their presences beside him. Turning his head to look at the three of them, he smiled softly. "So," he said hoarsely, "you're back in your body, eh, Yugi?"

Yugi nodded.

Bakura laughed a little suddenly. "I understand now why you really hated being in that orb. The dreams were one thing. . . . . . . but actually being in there. . . . . . . I could understand why you were so afraid."

"But why did you do it?" Yami asked. "Why did you switch places with Yugi when you knew what to expect?"

Bakura looked at the spirit of the Puzzle, then up at the ceiling. "Well, I could sense how afraid Yugi was of going back there. He was. . . . . . I guess. . . . . terrified. He didn't really want to go back there, so. . . . . . ." He shrugged slightly. "I switched places with him."

"You didn't have to," Yugi said.

"I know. But I didn't mind."

The smaller boy smiled. "Thank you."

Bakura couldn't help but smile back.

Yami Bakura allowed a small smile to cross his lips before setting a scowl on his face. "All right," he said, sounding slightly agitated. "That's enough out of this shit. You two," pointing to Yami and Yugi, "get out. This idiot is so weak he probably needs to rest some more."

Yugi and Yami looked at the boy lying in bed, who just nodded to them. Glancing at each other, they both left, wanting to tell the others the good news. Yami Bakura shut the door after them.

"I heard what you said," the dark spirit heard the boy say suddenly.

"What are you talking about?" Yami Bakura snapped.

Bakura kept his eyes to the ceiling. "When you were talking to Yami Yugi about breaking the orb to free Yugi and my soul, I heard what you said."

Yami Bakura cringed slightly. "You heard. . . . . . everything?"

The young boy nodded. "I wasn't aware of much when I was out of the orb, because I was under Ishinku's control until the point where Yugi was trying to reach out to me. But inside the orb, I could hear everything that was going on outside. It's just that I couldn't make sense of anything until now."

The dark spirit let out a little laugh. "So you know my secret now, huh?"

Bakura simply shrugged. "It didn't surprise me, really. I always figured you cared, but just didn't want to let on."

"How'd you know?"

"You could have easily killed me a long time ago, like you said, even before we ran into Yugi on Duelist Kingdom. You had always complained about sharing my body with me then. But you never did anything about it, except for that one time when you trapped my soul in the Change of Heart card. But nothing that would kill me. And I suppose I just kinda guessed at that point."

The spirit rubbed the back of his neck, slightly uncomfortable. "So what do we do about that now?"

"Well, we could try to act more like Yugi and Yami Yugi to show we care, but I'm guessing that wouldn't be too comfortable for you."

"Yeah."

"So we could just try our best to care for each other. How's that?"

Yami Bakura sat beside the bed of his young life, gently ruffling the boy's hair. "Sounds fine to me."

* * *

Bakura sighed slightly, swinging gently on the child's swing. It was a peaceful, clear day,

with a gentle breeze blowing across the area. His feet dragged across the dirt as he swung, and he watched as they made a slight trench in the ground.

Though he noticed, he didn't do anything as Yugi sat in the swing next to him. "Hey," he heard Yugi say.

"Hey."

"How do you feel?"

"Better now that I'm out of that hospital."

"Yeah. I went to visit you in the hospital, but they told me you were released."

Bakura shrugged. "I guess I didn't feel like calling anyone at the time."

A moment of silence settled between them. Then, Yugi said, "Bakura?"

"Yeah?"

"I. . . . I wanted to thank you for what you did."

"It was nothing, really."

Yugi shook his head. "No. It WAS something. What you did. . . . . I'm not only talking about switching places with me that time. I'm talking about allowing me to share bodies with you while that spell was cast on me. It must have been very hard."

"I guess it was."

"So then why did you let me stay?"

"Well," Bakura replied thoughtfully, "I was remembering how you wanted to help me when I asked you to attack me as the Change of Heart. You said you wouldn't, because I would go to the graveyard. My Yami wanted to destroy you, and I gave you a chance to beat him. But you wouldn't do it, because you didn't want me hurt. I. . . . . guess I just thought that I should repay you."

"Well, what you did was enough to repay me and more. Now, I think that I should do something for you."

"It's alright. That's what friends are for, right?"

They looked at each other, and both smiled.

Suddenly, Yugi jumped up. "Oh!" he said, turning to Bakura who was still sitting on the swing. "I want to show you something!" The younger boy grabbed his friend's hand, pulling him to stand.

"Show me what?" Bakura asked.

"It's a surprise." Yugi was beaming. "Come on."

* * *

"Yugi, can I take this blindfold off yet?" Bakura asked, slightly confused with what's going on.

"Not yet. Just wait another minute."

The snow-haired boy found himself tapping his foot, waiting for when he could remove the cover over his eyes.

"Okay. You can take it off."

Removing the blindfold, Bakura inhaled sharply with what he saw. He and Yugi were at the ranch that Bakura used to come to so often. Standing in front of him was the white stallion he favored.

"I remember," Yugi said, "when I was still under the spell, that you were thinking about how much you wanted to ride him. So, I thought it would be nice if you did." He was still beaming.

"Yugi. . . . I. . . . . how. . . . .?"

"The owner of the ranch is a good friend of my grandpa's. They've been friends for as long as I could remember. When I was younger, and feeling lonely, I would come here, and I would ride some of the horses. Personally, I like riding this one."

Yugi came up to Bakura and the white stallion, gently pulling on the reigns of a straw colored horse. It nickered softly, digging its hoof into the ground.

Bakura watched as Yugi got up on the horse. "Well?" the smaller boy asked. "Get on. He's gentle, don't worry."

Smiling, Bakura got up on the horse, holding on the reigns. Both horses trotted a bit around the ranch. The white-haired boy couldn't contain his excitement, as he gently kicked the sides of the horse to get him to go faster.

Yugi laughed, riding up next to Bakura. "That's pretty good for someone who's riding for only the second time," he said, smirking slightly. "But do you think you can keep up with me?"

Bakura smirked also. "Not only that, but I'm sure I could beat you."

"Oh? You think so?"

"Yeah, I do." And the two of them rode off, trying to win their race, laughing all the way.

**The End**


End file.
